Arabian Flavors, 4 Northgate Street, Aberystwyth SY23 2JS (01970 228 078). Starters and mezes from £4.75 to £8.25, mains from £14.50 to £18.95, desserts from £2.95 to £7.75, wine from £21
Occasionally, one of us would pop out to the toilet while waiting for our appetizers at Arabic Flavor. It's probably that magical moment of thought where even if you suddenly leave the table, the food might somehow arrive. They stopped in front of the kitchen door and peered through the window, hoping to see more people there. Perhaps the rest of the brigade just popped out the last time we saw them. But no, he was actually the only one doing everything in that kitchen. Gofran Hamza, a young Syrian refugee by way of Lebanon, was a compact, fully focused, fully poised figure at the stove, determined to tell his 21st century story. . Due to lack of staff in the kitchen, dinner in his Arabic flavors is unlikely to be served any time soon. Don't go hungry. Prepare some conversational strategies. Probably don't go in large groups. But really, please go.
Hamza grew up in a Syrian village on the Turkish border, where his father worked as a greengrocer. In 2012, as anti-government protests escalated into a vicious civil war, the family fled Syria to Lebanon, where they lived a life of hardship on the fringes of society. They were eventually offered a spot on the United Nations refugee resettlement program and arrived here in far west Wales, where land had run out in 2018. She says it was a disconcerting experience with multiple layers of culture shock. To cope, she and her mother are working with other Syrian refugees in Aberystwyth to secure a cultural connection to the past and raise funds for local Syrian families trying to get back on their feet. The Syrian Dinner Project has been launched, a series of supper clubs that bring together Currently.
“Under spiced sauce sprinkled with pomegranate seeds”: sea bass.Photo: Francesca Jones/Observer
Arabia Flavor, which she runs with her Greek partner, was scheduled to open in early 2020, but the pandemic made that impossible. The door was finally unlocked for her in March 2021. Now it's a quiet, elegant space, surrounded by rickety tea lights and sandstone-colored walls dotted with Arabic art. One look at the menu, though, and you might think this is a cheerful Greek joint. Dinner by the harbour, munching on a plate of calamari with the scent of Retsina and Ambre Her Soler, is where you can relive memories of sun-kissed holidays. And all of them are deeply loved.
But there's more going on here. It is a cuisine that follows the journey from dish to dish, life to life. Hamza has had a rough life for a woman still in her mid-20s. The name of her dish may be familiar. There's also baba ganoush, tabbouleh, and falafel. But that baba ganoush has a cavernous depth of smokiness, and with it comes folds of warm flatbread dusted with the sweetest, smokiest paprika. Tabbouleh is a mix of chopped flat-leaf parsley, cracked wheat and diced tomatoes, but with the tang of a salty-sour dressing that transforms into a friendly slap around the chops. Later, Hamza tells her that all the tahini and spices are a long journey from London because she can't get the quality she needs nearby. She is building a special pantry to share her family's memories with us.
“The salty and sour dressing has a spiciness”: Tabbouleh.Photo: Francesca Jones/Observer
Much of the food here is rich with the sweet-sour tang of pomegranate molasses and the jewel-like shine of pomegranate seeds. Alongside the lightness of fresh coriander and the caramelized tinge of long-cooked onions, there's a speckled pool of olive oil so virginal you'd never even have a obscene thought. It's loaded with roasted cashews, which brighten everything up. Salads are sprinkled with sumac's obscene purple citrus, and her hot, chewy falafel puffs are scented with freshly roasted cumin seeds. The most intriguing dish is hummus fatte, made with whole chickpeas in a garlicky tahini sauce. Freshly fried, crispy pitta pieces are mixed throughout.
Among the main dishes is a dish called Chicken Biryani. This is a name chosen for convenience, not to really convey anything other than the fact that the hotpot contains rice and chicken. Our waiter said it was Lebanese and then added that it had nothing to do with India. That's exactly right. It is soupier and richer than Indian biryani, with a cinnamon aroma and sweet warmth. It's the perfect dish for a cool rainy night like this. It's a food made for this part of the Welsh coast, where a strong, wet front is forever approaching. Pasta in the form of rice is clearly part of the Greek pillar, along with meatless moussaka, as is a pot of long-cooked beef in orzo. It's layered with potatoes, eggplant, zucchini, and layers of comfort, the equivalent of someone putting a knit blanket over your lap and telling you everything's going to be okay.
“Flavored with cinnamon, paprika, and cumin”: chicken shawarma.Photo: Francesca Jones/Observer
Beneath a spicy sauce studded with pomegranate seeds, caramel-colored chicken shawarma is infused with cinnamon, paprika and cumin, and heaps of crispy fried sea bass fillets. Both come with hamza roast potatoes, dark colored due to having so much fun with that noisy spice collection. Maybe it's the wait and the feeling of relief when the long-awaited food arrives (just after going to the bathroom, hooray, my magical thinking worked), but there's something about this dish. There is something deeply emotional and intense about it. That's because of the very pleasant service the waiter gave me on my first day on the job. She started talking quietly, but she soon relaxed and told me about her many siblings and her weightlifting habits.
“Crispy then soft and sticky with syrup and aromatic nuts”: Baklava.Photo: Francesca Jones/Observer
Greek and Lebanese wines are on the list, as well as a large selection of beers, gins, rums and whiskeys from Tenby Brewery. Pastries are usually popular at restaurants like this. Not here. Tonight Hamza only has thick triangular baklava. At first crispy, then soft, soggy with syrup and savory nuts, a sea of foam, a far cry from the dusty, taut examples you usually get. She apologizes for not having anything else to offer. She just didn't have the time to make them. That's more than acceptable. She can only do so much as one person, but by God, she's already done it. She hopes that she will find someone who will reach out to her. Hamza should be given an easier time and her entertaining cooking should be embraced by a wider audience.
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The announcement that Metropolis London, a new food stall restaurant occupying the railway arches of Albert Embankment in Vauxhall, will open later this month has created the perfect opportunity for a chaotic night out. Food on offer will include Mexican fare from Birria Tacos, Sri Lankan food from Karapincha and Uzbek noodles and dumplings from Oshpaz, as well as live music, cabaret and LGTBQ+ friendly events. There may be some confusion as there is already a place calling itself Metropolis London online: a strip club east of Cambridge Heath Road. The new Vauxhall website offers “food porn”. You've been warned. Find out more about food here.
The Barry brothers, who closed their Liverpool restaurant Lerpwl last year due to rent issues, are planning to reopen Anglesey restaurant Malam Glass in their parents' caravan park where it all started. The new Y Marram will begin with guest chef events including Romy Gill, Tony Singh and Jeremy Pan, but will soon transition to daily offerings. Learn more about.
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Email Jay at jay.rayner@observer.co.uk or follow him on X @jayrayner1
This article was modified on May 19, 2024. Metropolis London is located on the Albert Embankment, rather than the Victoria Embankment as described in previous versions.